Islamic State invasion of Iraq

Overview

In June 2014, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, which had controlled a large portion of Northeastern Syria at that time during the Syrian civil war, launched a widespread offensive in Iraq, capturing a large swath of territory extending all the way from the Iraq–Syria border to the outskirts of the Iraqi capital city of Baghdad. The offensive came after months of clashes in Anbar province, where tribal groups, and some extremist factions—which had pledged allegiance to ISIL—had been fighting Iraqi government forces in the cities of Fallujah and Ramadi following a series of anti-government protests. The offensive led to the occupation of 40% of Iraq's territory by the Islamic State, the collapse of several elements of the then-corrupt Iraqi Army and the genocides and mass killings of various religious groups, such as the Yazidis, Christians and Shia Muslims. This event led to the intervention of Iran and the United States in assisting Iraq in its conflict with the Islamic State, with the latter providing assistance to both Iraqi and Kurdish forces.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

In June 2014, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant launched a sweeping offensive from the Iraq–Syria border toward the outskirts of Baghdad, seizing approximately 40 percent of Iraqi territory. The assault followed months of fighting in Anbar province, where tribal groups and factions aligned with ISIL had already been contesting Iraqi government forces in Fallujah and Ramadi after anti-government protests had destabilized the region. The offensive exposed the severe institutional failures of the Iraqi Army, several elements of which collapsed without sustained resistance, and it triggered mass atrocities against Yazidis, Christians, and Shia Muslims in captured areas. The scale of territorial loss and the humanitarian crisis compelled both Iran and the United States to intervene directly, providing military assistance to Iraqi government and Kurdish forces, and set the parameters for the multi-year conflict that would define the Iraqi Civil War of 2014–2017.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (18)